Henry Catenacci Studio

Il letto dei viole has won the People's Choice Award for "Dark," NOMA Gallery's International Competition.

The academic jury of the Real Illusions — 2025 London Contemporary Art Review Exhibition, part of the International Art Competition in London, has nominated American artist Henry Catenacci as one of this week’s outstanding artists. His two oil paintings are competing for awards in this prestigious UK art competition. Organizer: @gallerynat.london Artist: @hcatstudio American artist Henry Catenacci’s works La visitazione and Il letto dei viole present a profound desire for transcendence over physical limitations, achieved through his exceptional use of surrealistic techniques. These two hyperrealistic paintings create dreamlike ”real illusions“ and explore the philosophical themes of life, death, and hope. In La visitazione, the skeleton represents the physical self, the bluebird symbolizes hope and happiness, the books suggest the pursuit of knowledge, and the candle stands for enlightenment—though the candle is yet to be lit. This imagery reflects humanity’s yearning to transcend the limitations of the body and seek higher meaning. Through his meticulous technique, Catenacci successfully transforms these symbolic emotions into visual language, hinting at the tension between life and death, reason and faith. Il letto dei viole continues to explore this theme, presenting death not as an end, but as a beginning. The violet bed and the peaceful pose of the figure symbolize a longing to transcend the material world, suggesting the eternal cycle of death and rebirth. Using layered wax pencil and oil techniques, Catenacci’s work evokes a delicate yet profound emotion, echoing Emily Dickinson‘s line: “Hope is the thing with feathers / That perches in the soul,” portraying hope as the resting place of the soul and inviting philosophical reflection. Catenacci’s works, with their deep symbolism and exceptional technique, convey complex philosophical emotions through visual art, inviting viewers to contemplate the relationships between life, death, and the soul. #Art #ContemporaryArt #ArtCompetition #UKArtCompetition #London #Artist #USA #France #Europe #Gallery #Museum #Curator #Jury #RealIllusions #GrandPrize #Awards

Chiaroscuro, baby! Here is the finished grisaille layer for this painting. You can see how the underpainting and the grisaille layer work together to heighten the three-dimensionality of the images. The underpainting adds depth, and the grisaille adds volume (often literally, with the use of impasto on the bird and skeleton). Once this dries, I’ll continue with multiple thin layers of color glazes.

La visitazione (The Visitation)
Work in Progress, Grisaille
Oil on Panel
16 in. x 20 in.

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